Deceptive Mind
by House-less
Summary: Short story taking place in "Both Sides Now". It somehow fillsl the blanks between House and Cuddy's interaction in her office and the one in Wilson's.


Hi! :)

This is a very short story I wrote after a friend asked me to. And since I can literally refuse nothing to her... Here you go!

It takes place in ''Both Sides Now''. Just me playing the psy and analyzing the scene, with a little plus.

I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

 _House got up, alone in his bed. He looked around. Nothing. But it didn't erase the smile on his face. He put both feet onto the floor and stood up, feeling ridiculously light this morning._

 _He made a few steps, without the help of his cane, he didn't even look for it. He was pain-free this morning._

 _He entered the bathroom, his reflection on the mirror facing him. A smirk curved up his lips as he saw the red spot on the corner of his mouth. It turned into a grin when the lipstick on the edge of the washstand caught his attention._

 _He refused to feel happy about the souvenir of the last hours, but couldn't help it. His finger patted his cheek at the exact place where she'd left the lipstick's mark, then ran his thumb on his lips, still feeling the touch of hers._

 _Taking in hand the lipstick, he opened it, analyzing the colour. It was a beautiful shade, between red and purple. And it smelt good. The taste of it wasn't bad, too. But he preferred hers._

 _He looked down, putting the lipstick back to its place. How a woman could make him feel like that? Another smile appeared on his face, another one he couldn't help._

 _Shaking his head, he made his way to the kitchen, stopping in his way to watch the umbrella negligently left in the doorway. He continued his walk, thinking that he'd really better suppress or at least control the smile that thinking about her made appear on his lips._

* * *

''Are you okay?'' Cuddy asked, worried and confused. She locked her eyes with his as she gently put a hand on his cheek, she didn't like what she saw in his eyes.

He absently gazed at her, his mind was at miles away from where they were.

He'd spent the day trying to make her lose control, get angry so he'd figure out why she'd acted strange after what they'd shared. She'd completely refused to talk about it, feigning ignorance since she first saw him that morning. He hadn't expected that.

And he'd succeeded, he'd made her lose control and had got the reaction he'd wanted - not exactly the one he'd wanted, but it was a reaction, at least. Better than nothing.

And there he was, standing motionless in the middle of her office, the memories of the last day coming to the surface.

He'd woke up, feeling strangely light, for a reason he thought he'd known. Arriving at his bathroom, he saw himself lifting what he'd thought it was Cuddy's forgotten lipstick, but it'd been only the amber bottle he hated so much. There had been no lipstick, nor a mark of her lips on his cheek. The lightness he'd felt was an illusion, too. Logical. He had been too happy to wonder why he hadn't felt pain, especially that he'd gone through a detox. The truth was that he never had been clean of vicodine.

He saw himself limping down his corridor, smiling at the sight of her umbrella, but again, it turned into his cane. The fact that nobody had made a remark about him walking through the hospital with an umbrella instead of his cane went logical now. He never had been using it.

The realization had the effect of a slap in the face for him. He'd been mean to Cuddy, for nothing. And there she was, worrying about him, nevertheless.

''No. I'm not okay.''

He shook his head slowly, opening his eyes to meet hers. He saw her deeply breathing, regaining some countenance before she helped him to sit down on the sofa.

''Alright, House. Look at me,'' she gently said, turning his head at her with endless softness. His eyes reflected distress and lost, it made her heart ache. ''Talk to me, what happened?''

He only shook his head.

''Hey,'' she whispered, putting her hand on his forearm to encourage him to talk to her.

''I... You... It was a hallucination,'' he managed to say, his voice low. ''I'm sorry.''

She listened to him calmly as he told her what had happened, keeping for himself certain details - as what had followed after she'd been about to leave his apartment. He wasn't ready to tell her that. But what he told her was enough for her to understand the situation.

Cuddy looked at him as he swallowed, refusing to meet her gaze. She rapidly took control over herself, she'd torture her mind with it later, for now, all what mattered was him.

''It's gonna be okay,'' she reassured him, looking for his gaze. When she met it, she slowly murmured, not wanting to scare him with the sudden suggestion she was about to make. ''House, do you want to go to detox?''

* * *

The End.

Reviews are lovely! :)


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